In the Middle

Louise knew what she wanted and who she wanted it from but it just wasn’t working. She wanted her boyfriend, Daniel to take charge, to give her a flogging, to tell her what to do and he was more worried about hurting her, doing something wrong or apologizing to get excited. Actually, it was doing nothing for him which frustrated Louise so much that she started telling him what to do. Strangely enough, that did excite Daniel!

As Louise and Daniel explore these unexpected surprise twist their relationship, each finds out things about themselves and each other. Louise understands why Doms enjoy being in charge and Daniel, though he is in charge at work, learns he likes letting go and letting Louise take over. But, Louise is missing something she really desires. She wants to be the one to submit.

Louise does have a Dom who takes charge. He’s online but he’s coming to Washington DC for a conference. He wants to meet up with her and she’s more than willing, if Daniel is okay with it. No matter what she doesn’t want to mess up her relationship with Daniel.

With Daniel’s approval, Louise meets up with Randall X. They do a scene and Louise finds what she was looking for.

Now, she’s torn. She wants both men for what they can give her. Randall X doesn’t live in DC so for the most part her relationship with him will be online unless one of them travels. Surely Daniel won’t mind. But, will Daniel mind when Randall X moves to DC? Is there some way the three can work out this group’s dynamics?

This is probably one of the most unique BDSM books that I have read.

The character dynamics are definitely different. Randall is pure Dom. There is nothing submissive about him. Daniel, while in control at the office, wants nothing more than to submit in the bedroom. Both men are heterosexual and want nothing to do with each other sexually. Louise is a switch. She likes taking charge of Daniel but also likes when Randall takes charge of her. Both men want her in the role she plays for them but Daniel puts it best when he says that to really love Louise, you have to love all of her, the submissive part and the Dom. With neither man wanting to share and Louise playing such different roles with each, is there a way to compromise?

The characters themselves are also dynamic. Louise is the central character as she is a switch. She thinks she knows what she wants and is surprised to learn that she also enjoys being in control. The love she feels for Daniel is real but so is her desire to be a submissive. Daniel is a high powered lawyer. He makes tough decisions all of the time. He also wants to give Louise whatever she wants. His desire to serve her pushes his limits as he works on controlling his jealousy towards Randall. Randall fulfills Louise’s desire to let someone else make the decisions. He pushes her past where she thinks she can go and she loves it. He’s like her to leave Daniel as he doesn’t share, especially with a sub.

The setting showed that the author knows DC. From the noisy Union Station to the more affluent suburbs of Northern Virginia, each was portrayed well and with realism.

The sex was hot, almost as hot as the men involved. Regardless of weather Louise was in charge or Randall, there was plenty of action. Each brought different strengths to the scene but the variety was like a table full of luxurious deserts.

I wasn’t sure about this book when I started reading it. Daniel was trying to top Louise and it just wasn’t working. But quickly, my interest was peaked as Louise took control. However, I’m funny about cheating in a relationship so was wondering how Randall joining the mix was going to work. Well, it worked beautifully. By the end, I was thrilled with the book, the characters and basically life in general.

There is such a unique twist with this story that it definitely isn’t cookie cutter. It is outside the box and it is done so well. Your interest is caught and never let go.

If you love BDSM and want something different, give this story a try. I truly loved it and I’d love to read more about these characters. Perhaps I will as one of Louise’s friends has made a few comments. And, there is an interesting bartender, Spike, at the upscale BDSM club. And, there was even an older sub who might have an interesting story.

(If you guessed that I love Ms van Yssel’s work and can’t wait for more, you’d be right. She’s never disappointed me.)

Book Blurb for In the Middle

Louise has a yen for submission, stoked by her online adventures. Her real-life boyfriend Daniel is more submissive than dominant. When her Internet lover, Randall X, comes to town, she gets a sexy weekend to indulge her submissive fantasies. But what starts out as a weekend starts to turn into something more, and Randall X takes her deeper and deeper into the world of submissive pleasure. Meanwhile, with Daniel, Louise discovers she enjoys being on top as well, and being treated like a Goddess.

Caught in the middle between two men who want her for themselves, Louise is having the time of her life, but knows it can't last. With two lovers to choose from, each offering her something completely different, what's a switch to do?

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